Pictographs of the North American Indians. A preliminary paper / Fourth Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1882-83, Government Printing Office, Washington, 1886, pages 3-256

This paper surveys Indigenous pictorial traditions across North America and neighboring regions, documenting the geographic distribution of rock carvings and paintings and notable local examples. It examines materials and techniques—carving, painting, pigments, tattooing—and the objects and surfaces used, from stone to skin and bark. Images are categorized by subject and purpose, including mnemonic charts, seasonal winter counts, treaties and war records, totemic and religious signs, personal and property marks, and everyday life. Comparative cases, interpretation methods, authenticity issues, and practical suggestions for field observers conclude the study.